Live! Biden assails Russian intervention in Ukraine as 'unacceptable'

LIVE

Sat, 22 November 2014

Timeline Refresh

23:09 Protest against Biden's visit to Turkey

About 300 people have protested US Vice President Joe Biden's visit to Turkey, chanting: "Biden get out. This country is ours." The demonstration occurred on the European side of Istanbul today, as Biden was on his way to a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the Asian side of the city.

Obama urged Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform as he used his weekly address today to again defend his unilateral action shielding millions of undocumented immigrants from deportation.

"I still believe that the best way to solve this problem is by working together - both parties - to pass that kind of bipartisan law," Obama said in his weekly radio and television address, referring to a wide-ranging overhaul that had passed the Senate but was blocked in the House of Representatives.

22:08

Biden assails Russian intervention in Ukraine as 'unacceptable':

Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. in Kiev on Friday condemned Russia for its "unacceptable' military intervention in Ukraine, while exhorting Ukraine's newly elected government to complete its democratic and anticorruption reforms.

During a joint news conference, Mr. Biden urged Ukraine's president, Petro O. Poroshenko, to form a new government "in days, not weeks,' and to champion economic reforms, promote further economic integration with the West and root out what Mr. Biden called "the cancer of corruption.'

22:06 Bullet-proof vehicle found from Rampal's Ashram, search on

Police today recovered a bullet-proof vehicle among other items from the Ashram of "godman" Rampal in Barwala town of Hisar district. The recovery was made a day after a huge cache of arms and ammunition, petrol bombs, acid syringes were found from the highly-fortified complex.

The details emerged as the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Haryana Police continued with its search of the Ashram.

21:27 Army raids kill 7 militants, arrest 67 in Egyp

At least seven militants were killed and 67 others arrested during raids by Egyptian Army in the restive North Sinai governorate, an army official said today. The raids were carried out on November 20-21, Army spokesperson Brigadier General Mohamed Samir said.

The SAARC committee today decided to dissolve three regional centres, including one in India, and merge four others to end the duplication of work and reduce its budget. The 49th meeting of the programming committee comprises of joint secretaries of the SAARC countries.

20:39 6.2 quake hits central Japan: USGS

A strong 6.2 magnitude earthquake hit central Japan late today, the US Geological Survey said. The quake struck at 10:08 pm (1308 GMT), with its epicentre at a depth of 10 kilometres (six miles) in the north of Nagano Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo, according to USGS and Japan Meteorological Agency, which measured it at 6.8.

Union Ministers Birender Singh and Suresh Prabhu have been nominated by BJP for bye-elections to two Rajya Sabha seats in Haryana.

The two Ministers, who were inducted in the Union Cabinet following its expansion on October 27, are not members of Parliament. They are required to be an MP within six months of being a Minister.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval today said India must engage with its neighbours--China and Pakistan--and build deterrence capabilities in a way that war does not remain a "necessary option". At the same time, Doval called for a preparedness for a "two-front war".

20:08

Kerry says gaps remain in talks about Iran's nukes: US Secretary of State John Kerry has warned of "serious gaps" in the talks about a nuclear deal with Iran, but as Monday's deadline approached his German counterpart said Tehran and six world powers have "never been closer" to agreement since they started negotiating more than six years ago.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier also said Saturday that both sides are "still far apart" on certain questions. But he suggested the differences are bridgeable, declaring that the talks have reached "a moment of truth." Still, he said, success or failure "is still completely open at this point."

19:11 Doda, Ramban villagers threaten to boycott poll

Residents of around 14 flood-hit villages in Desa belt of Doda and Ramban Assembly seats have threatened to boycott the state elections after the local administration allegedly failed to provide them free ration.

"We were promised free rations after the floods wreaked havoc on us and damaged our standing crops, but for the past two months we have not received a single grain of that ration," Om Prakash, the Sarpanch of Malan village alleged.

19:08

Kenya bus killings claimed by Somali group al-Shabab: Gunmen from the Somali militant group al-Shabab say they have attacked a bus in northern Kenya, killing 28 people.

The bus was travelling to the capital, Nairobi, when it was stopped in Mandera county, not far from the Somali border.

Gunmen separated out non-Muslims by asking passengers to read from the Koran, officials and witnesses said. Those who failed were then shot in the head.

18:22

'US-led strikes have killed 910 people in Syria': Air strikes by U.S.-led forces in Syria have killed 910 people, including 52 civilians, since the start of the campaign against Islamic State and other fighters two months ago, a group monitoring the conflict said on Saturday.

The majority of the deaths, 785, were Islamic State fighters according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Islamic State, a hard-line offshoot of al Qaeda, has seized land in Syria and neighboring Iraq, where it has also been targeted by U.S.-led strikes since July.

18:20 Plague outbreak kills 40 people in Madagascar

A plague outbreak has killed 40 people on the island nation of Madagascar, with 119 people diagnosed with the bacterial disease since August. Two people have been diagnosed and one has died in the capital, Antananarivo.

The World Health Organisation fears the plague outbreak may spread rapidly through Madagascar's largest and densely populated city, worsened by the country's poor health care system.

17:55 UP: 1 woman dead in stampede

A woman is died in a stampede in Uttar Pradesh's Badaun district during a blanket distribution event by MP Dharmendra Yadav.

The event was organised as part of Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav's 75th birthday celebrations.

Make Bangladesh feel 'heat of India' to stop infiltration: Dr Swamy

K Anurag reports from Guwahati:

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and MP, Dr Subramaniam Swamy today said that illegal migration from Bangladesh to Assam and other parts of India could be stopped only when Bangladesh was made to feel the 'heat of India' to stop the encouraging migration of its people to India.

Addressing the media in Guwahati Dr Swamy said deportation of illegal Bangladeshi migration was not taking place anywhere in India because it was a difficult task and not possible without cooperation from Bangladesh.

"I expect Prime Minister Narendra Modi to raise the infiltration with his Bangladesh counterpart on the sidelines of the forthcoming SAARC summit,' Dr Swamy said.

The All Assam Students Union staged a satyagraha and rally in Guwahati in coordination with organizations of indigenous Muslims, demanding a deadline from the Narendra Modi government to deport illegal Bangladeshi migrants from Assam as well as uprooting of jihadi elements from Assam.

Make Bangladesh feel 'heat of India' to stop infiltration: Dr Swamy

K Anurag reports from Guwahati:

"I expect Prime Minister Narendra Modi to raise the infiltration with his Bangladesh counterpart on the sidelines of the forthcoming SAARC summit,' Dr Swamy said.

A Correspondent: Taking serious note of the latest World Bank report that places India at 142nd spot out of 189 business-friendly countries, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called upon officials to ensure that rules, regulations, terms of references and systems of delivery be simplified at the earliest.

According to sources, Modi wants India to figure among top 50 countries to do business.

The prime minister has sought guidelines to achieve this target to reflect in the 2015 Union Budget.

Modi had been apprised of the World Bank ranking during his trip to the United States. On returning home, sources said, Modi held six rounds of meetings with 18 secretaries drawn from 22 ministries.

On Saturday, Nripendra Mishra, principal secretary to the prime minister, chaired a meeting of secretaries in this regard.

Faced with the daunting task of getting back black money stashed abroad, government today said it was having a relook at some of the bilateral tax treaties signed with foreign countries that may be hindering the repatriation of the money.

"Of course, we are," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in an interaction with Press Trust of India journalists at the news agency's headquarters in New Delhi.

He was asked whether the government would have a relook at the bilateral treaties through which the government was not easily getting information about black money hoarders abroad.

Jaitley said he had sent a delegation recently to Switzerland and they have come back with some positive movement.

"We have to furnish evidence independent of the HSBC list. I can't go to them (foreign countries) and they say the HSBC list is stolen, I won't cooperate. So I won't go to you on the basis of stolen list. But if I present to you some independent evidence about names which happen to come on the stolen list, then will you provide me the evidence?," he said referring to the discussions with Swiss government.

Asked if this was not provided in the current bilateral treaties, the Minister said: "This is what we have discussed. Increasingly the cooperation is increasing. Now if you see the US laws, they want more and more countries to accept that law which provides for automatic exchange of information."

Around 500 guests were evacuated from a five-star hotel after a gas explosion in the basement caused part of the building to collapse, injuring 14 people.

The Churchill Hyatt Regency hotel in Portman Square, central London, was evacuated following the explosion at around 11.40pm on Friday night and a number of people were being treated by paramedics.

Around 80 firefighters were on the scene at the height of the incident, including appliances with specialist equipment to deal with collapsed buildings. The full extent of the damage is not known at this stage and all people were accounted for, a spokesman for London Fire Brigade said.

London Ambulance Service said 14 people were injured, including two men with leg wounds who were taken to nearby St Mary's Hospital.

A further three people needed hospital treatment, while nine others were checked over at the scene and given the all-clear.

A spokesman for the hotel told ITV no guests were harmed and could be relocated until the damage was assessed.

Criticising the way women are portrayed as a 'commodity' in the media, Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today called for self-regulation and urged stakeholders to exercise freedom of choice with a certain sense of discretion.

"You are encouraging a certain theme, a certain narrative, story, picturization of women, where she's made a commodity, where she is being projected as a doormat, and you are comfortably watching it, shedding tears... The moment government tries to come in, we will have equally n-number of women saying 'Oh, moral policing!'," the Commerce and Indutries Minister said while addressing the World Hindu Congress in New Delhi.

Highlighting the role of women in mass movements like the Chipko Andolan and their participation in politics, she said, "There are enough examples to talk about how women have had a role in what I call politics which is not narrow to holding

positions."

Sitharaman hinted at the need to change the mindset of the viewers.

"Let's not pretend. There is an audience for this. I am not saying therefore it should go on. But if we are constantly telling the government what are you doing about it, I want to ask for a minute, what are we doing about those people who are watching it," she asked.

"The government will come in, but as long as we believe in the freedom of choice, I think it is for us much more than the government, to exert this freedom of choice with a certain sense of discretion and 'Sanskaar'," she added.

14:26 Will resolve Kashmiri refugee problem: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that he will solve the Kashmir refugee issue if Bharatiya Janata Party comes to power.

"I will solve problems of refugees that have been existing for 50 years," the prime minister said.

While addressing an election rally in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, Modi emphasised on the need for development and employment opportunities in the state.

Modi reiterated his development mantra, "Sabka saath, sabka vikaas." Modi said, "Its time to bring the change, provide young generation a secure future."

Modi also asked people of Jammu and Kashmir to punish National Conference (NC) and Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) for misusing funds allotted for the state.

Modi took a dig at Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's family and said, "The pipeline which we installed for water in Gujarat is big enough for the entire Abdullah family to drive their car inside it."

Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has shared screen space with Sylvester Stallone in films like 'The Expendables' and 'Escape, today revealed that the two were each other's biggest enemies during the 1980s.

Schwarzenegger, 67, said both the action stars competed with each other on all levels, from their body to the amount of money their films made at box office. The actor said it was only after a decade of fierce competition that they started bonding and eventually became friends.

"We hated each other in the '80s because we were both in the same business, we wanted to outdo each other. It was all out war. It was a competition of who has the most muscles, who kills the most people on screen, who kills in the most unique way, who makes more money at the box office," Schwarzenegger said while speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit in New Delhi.

"Finally, in the '90s we became kind of friends, and ever since then we have been friends. Initially, you need a competitor, someone that you hate... because that's what drives me," he added.

The 'Terminator' star said the two now share a great working and personal relationship.

"We were mature and smart enough to say this that 'let's stop this' and then we started doing movies together and have had great time working together."

Voicing confidence of a breakthrough in talks with Shiv Sena, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said it has been a friend of BJP and the two parties will remain friends in the future.

"Shiv Sena has always been a friend and in future we will be friends," Fadnavis said at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit.

The comment by the Chief Minister comes two days after Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy, who was BJP's Maharashtra in-charge, hoped that something good will emerge out of the talks between the two parties.

There is growing pressure from the ranks of both parties to patch up and be part of the ruling alliance in a bid to keep the NCP at a distance.

Fadnavis said the RSS was not mediating between Shiv Sena and BJP, who parted ways just ahead of the assembly polls due to differences over seat-sharing.

On the confidence vote, the Maharashtra Chief Minister said, "I have never faced so much criticism in 22 years of my

political life as much I faced in the three days after facing no confidence motion."

11:22 PM wishes Mulayam on his birthday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today wished Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on his birthday and said he prayed for his long and healthy life.

"On Mulayam Singh Yadavji's birthday I extend my greetings to him and pray that he is blessed with a long and healthy life," Modi tweeted for the SP leader who turned 75.

A mega two-day birthday bash was organised for Yadav in Rampur in Uttar Pradesh which began yesterday, triggering a controversy.

Yadav rode an imported Victorian-style 'buggy' (horse-driven carriage) and around 40 ministers gathered for his bash.

Thousands of Azam's supporters accompanied the 'buggy' carrying Mulayam, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and minister Azam Khan, as it proceeded towards the Jauhar University where the SP chief celebrated his birthday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a public rally in Kishtwar on Saturday, days ahead of the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir.

Modi is scheduled to hold his first public rally in Kishtwar at around noon today, from where first phase of polling is scheduled to take place.

The star campaigner of Bharatiya Janata Party is scheduled to hold seven rallies in the state ahead of the five phase polls from November 25.

Modi is also reportedly scheduled to hold rallies in Srinagar and Udhampur on November 27 and 30 respectively.

BJP has set a target of "Mission 44+" in the state and is banking on Modi wave to win majority in the 87 state assembly seat.

Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Srinjoy Bose, who was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the multi-crore rupee Saradha scam on Friday, will be produced before a court on Saturday.

A peeved West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress had yesterday threatened to hit the streets, while its supremo Mamata Banerjee accused the CBI of taking the side of the "thieves". The opposition parties demanded her resignation.

Bose, editor of Trinamool mouthpiece Jago Bangla, was accused of 'blackmail' by purported scam kingpin and Saradha promoter Sudipta Sen and grilled by the Central Bureau of Investigation sleuths for nearly six hours before his eventual arrest.

"Bose has been arrested for his prima facie involvement in the Saradha scam on allegations of criminal conspiracy, misappropriation of funds and deriving undue financial benefits. He will be presented before a court Saturday," a CBI officer told a news agency yesterday.

Bose -- also the editor of Bengali daily Sambad Pratidin and assistant general secretary of city soccer giants Mohun Bagan -- is the second Trinamool leader to be arrested by the CBI in the scam.

An 18-member Indian team, led by Virat Kohli, today left for Australia to play in the four-match Test series starting at Brisbane from December 4.

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni will miss the first Test due to a right thumb injury and he is expected the join side from the second Test onwards.

Naman Ojha is the reserve wicketkeeper for the first Test and he will return home once Dhoni joins the team for the second Test.

The Australia tour commences on November 24 with a two-day practice game in Adelaide against Cricket Australia XI. The visitors will then play one more two-day warm-up game against Cricket Australia Invitational XI (November 28-29) in Adelaide before the four-match Test series starts on December 4 at Brisbane.

The other Tests are to be played at Adelaide (December 12-16), Melbourne (December 26-30) and Sydney (January 3-7).

The Test series will be followed by a tri-nation series comprising hosts Australia, India and England from January 16 to February 1.

The Squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (C), Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Wriddhiman Saha, Naman Ojha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Karn Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammad Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron.

Voting in 46 civic bodies, including six municipal corporations, in Rajasthan began at 7 am today, a state election commission official said.

Over 63.09 lakh electors are eligible to cast their votes at 6,135 polling booths in 1,680 wards. 7,375 candidates are are in fray for the 46 civic bodies where polling will continue till 6 pm.

Polling are being held in six municipal corporations of Jaipur, Kota, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Udaipur and Bharatpur, 18 municipal councils and 22 municipalities.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made for the election with the deployment of over 35,000 armed personnels of state police, Rajasthan Armed Constabulary and Home Guards. Results will be announced on November 25.

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today asked US President Barack Obama to take up the Kashmir issue with the Indian leadership when he travels to India in January next year.

Sharif made the request when Obama telephoned him, informing about his forthcoming India visit and discussing bilateral ties and the regional situation.

"The prime minister also urged President Obama to take up the cause of Kashmir with the Indian leadership, as its early resolution would bring enduring peace, stability and economic cooperation to Asia," said a Pakistan prime minister's office statement on the discussions between the two leaders.

It said that President Obama informed Sharif of his forthcoming visit to India in January to attend India's republic Day Parade as the chief guest.

After nearly 40 years behind bars for a crime he didn't commit, Ricky Jackson is now a free man.

Jackson and two other men were convicted of a murder in 1975 that they did not commit. It was finally revealed this week when a lone eyewitness confessed that he lied.

Read the story here

01:33

There have been clashes in Mexico City, as thousands of people took to the streets to protest at President Enrique Pena Nieto's handling of the disappearance of 43 students.

Protesters pushed away police in riot gear as they tried to round up demonstrators armed with molotov cocktails and firecrackers.

Image: Demonstrators plead with riot police during a protest in support of 43 missing Ayotzinapa students in Mexico City. Photograph: Henry Romero/Reuters

01:14

A hand grenade attack on a camp of Muttahida Qaumi Movement today left 20 people, including three parliamentarians, injured in this Pakistani port city.

The hand grenade was thrown at the Muttahida Qaumi Movement camp in in Orangi Town area where a membership drive was going on, police said. "Three MQM MPAs Mohammad Hussain, Sheikh Abdullah and Saifuddin Khalid are among the wounded," MQM leader Wasay Jalil said.

He said the explosion took place when a large number of people had gathered at the camp set up inside a building compound. At least 20 people were wounded in the attack, police said.

The hand grenade was Russia-made and powerful enough to affect everyone within a ten feet radius of the blast, a bomb disposal squad official said. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar '" a splinter group of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan '"-- claimed responsibility for the attack.

Image for representation only

00:30 Obama calls Sharif, informs of his India visit

US President Barack Obama today telephoned Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and informed him about his forthcoming visit to India, as the two leaders discussed bilateral ties and the regional situation.

The Pakistan prime minister's office said that President Obama informed Sharif of his forthcoming visit to India in January to attend India's republic Day Parade as the chief guest. During the call, Sharif recalled an invitation he extended to Obama last year in Washington and conveyed the expectation of the people of Pakistan to welcome the US president to the country some time in the future.

"The president also assured the prime minister that he would undertake a visit to Pakistan at an early date, as soon as the situation normalises in the country," the prime minister's office said in a statement.

00:28 Eleven dead in Zimbabwe stadium stampede

From the BBC: Eleven people have been killed in a stampede after a religious service in a stadium in Zimbabwe, police say.Four people died in the stadium in the central town of Kwekwe, while seven others were declared dead on arrival in hospital, they say.

The stampede occurred as thousands of worshippers rushed to leave after the service by popular Pentecostal preacher Walter Magaya.

He claims to be able to heal people by performing miracles.Some witnesses accused the police of blocking most of the stadium exits and then firing tear gas as people battled to get through the only one left open.

Read the full story here

From the CNN: NATO has scrambled fighter jets more than 400 times this year to intercept Russian military flights close to alliance members' airspace in Europe, the alliance's secretary general said this week.

That's a 50 per cent increase in Russian air activity over last year and the kind of activity that harkens back to the days of the Cold War, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said during a visit to NATO member Estonia on Thursday.

Read the full story here

00:02 Top headlines of the last 24 hours

Rampal owned luxurious property, arms and ammunition
Obama accepts Modi's R-Day invitation to be chief guest
Kashmir: Youth held by Army for lobbing grenade at election rally
End of the road for INS Vikrant: 14 things you should know
Modi to hit campaign trail in J&K on Saturday
Villagers celebrate homecoming of fishermen released from Sri Lanka

00:01

Just hours after the White House confirmed that US President Barack Obama would be travelling to India in January, the State Department today announced that it will send a top diplomat to India next week to lay the ground work for the historic presidential visit.

"Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Biswal will travel to New Delhi, India, for internal consultations and bilateral meetings," the State Department said in a statement.

The State Department's decision came after White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest announced that, "At the invitation of Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi, the President will travel to India in January 2015 to participate in the Indian Republic Day celebration in New Delhi as the Chief Guest."

Timeline Refresh

TOP STORIES